The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-18
ABOUT OYSTERS.
The Magnitude of the Indnstry--How the Bi.
valves Are Handled.

Philadelphi North American.
The magnitude of the industry will be better
understood when it is stated that the annual
production-or rather the yleld-of oysters from
the parks in Chesapeake bay and tributaries
is about fifteen million bushels, of which some
four million bushels find their way into profit
able markets far beyond the limits of the bay.
There employed taking the oysters from
their native element large feet of boats, class
fled as dredgers scrapers. canoes, runners etc,
besides numerous smaller craft, known as
''boe eyes" ''mutton-legs," orphans" ''pun-
gies," etc.-in round numbers eight
hundred dredging boats. six hundred
scrapers, two thousand canoes. five
hundred runners and somewhere in the neigh
borhood of FIVE hundred orphans" j. O., boats
which have no regular customers at any OF the
packing establishments, but which dispose of
their cargo to the best advantage wherever they
The total valuation of these boats and
their equipments foots up to about three and a
half million dollars There employed
this fleet In various capacities fifteen thousand
men and boys. which, added TO the number of
male and female employees in the packing es-
Establishments in Baltimore and elsewhere, in
creases the number seventy five
thousand persons and there is paid out an
nually in wages over three million dollars
Few oysters are shipped in bulk, that is in the
shell, the demand being mostly for the opened
oysters which are forwarded to destination in
tubs, barrels, etc. Crisfeld, the Little
Annemersix river, at the head of Taneier sound;
Seaford, the Nanticoke river; Cambridge.
the Chobtank; Paramount, on Tangier sound,
and Salisbury, on the Wicomico river, are i'm
able difficulty has been experienced in getting
cargoes TO these establishments in extremely
cold weather, owing to the ice block AIDES in the
rivers and freshwater creeks, and this obstacle
has FREQ uently entaled serious pecunlary loss to
the packer. As a result. many packing houses
have been erected in proximity to the parks. and
a railroad facilities are moro numerous than
they were few years ago. this difficulty is OBJ
Waited and there is very little, if any. Interrupt
ton righteousness. There are about eight hun
dred of these establishments on what is known
as the Delaware and Maryland peninsula, which
give employment TO about fifteen thousand per-
sons male and female. These shuckers receive
from 10 to 20 cents per gallon, an expert open
ing from eighteen to twenty gallons per day,
that is. upon what is known in oyster parlance
as a straight run" ten hours. The best
oysters thi. side of Chesapeake bay come
from Crisfield, and are taken from the waters
of the famous Tangier sound. In the packing
establishment at this place they long ago intro
duced an innovation the hammer and knife
the Crisfield oyster widely sought alter. In
stead of cracking the nib with the hammer the
shucker long, thin, steel knife, which he
inserts diaeonally between the valves at the
small end, and by a dexterous twist of the wrist
cuts away the addoctor muscle and throws off
the shell at the same instant This leaves the
oyster plump and whole.
The method is rapid. and besides it has many
advantages the old system. Many
shuckers of long experience aver that the strik-
ing of the nib with the hammer affects the color
of the oyster, while the OF the stabbing-
knife does not destroy the natural color nor
leave its edges ragged and minced, with the
regular ld-fashioned oyster knife
About three million gallons of oysters are
shipped from the packing houses in the various
towns during the season, which usually begins
about the 18th of September and closes the last
of March Most of these oysters find a market
in the Eastern and Western States, and interior
Pennsylvania consumes a large propo triton of
those which como from Seaford and Cam